A method and an arrangement for the automatic feeding of a printing plate to a plate cylinder, or for the removal from a plate cylinder of a rotary printing press is known from DE 39 40 795 A1. That method for the automatic feeding of a printing plate to a plate cylinder of a rotary printing press, in which the plate cylinder has, inter alia, assemblies for clamping and for bracing or tensioning the printing plate, provides for the printing plate to be placed into a storage chamber of printing plate feeding or removal device. The plate cylinder is rotated into a plate feeding position, and the printing plate is conducted to a clamping device of the plate cylinder by the use of a number of transport rollers. The above-identified method for the automatic removal of a printing plate from a plate cylinder of a rotary printing press, in which the plate cylinder has, inter alia, assemblies for unclamping and releasing the printing plate, is distinguished in that the plate cylinder is initially rotated forward into a printing plate release position. A clamping flap for grasping a printing plate leading end is then opened. The plate cylinder then rotates backward, and a clamping flap for grasping a printing plate starting end is opened. The printing plate is then conducted to a storage chamber of a printing plate feeding or removal device by the use of a number of transport rollers. The device for performing the above-described method has at least one transport roller embodied as a drive roller and one embodied as a pressing roller, and wherein the pressing roller can be placed against the drive roller. In addition, various actuating devices, a pivotably seated pressing roller for pressing the printing plate against the plate cylinder, as well as ejection fingers, can be provided. The ejection fingers can have tips, which are arranged so that they can be pivoted into the periphery of the plate cylinder. Also, the storage chamber of the printing plate feeding or removal device can be seated, pivotable around a joint.
DE 39 40 796 A1 describes an arrangement for automatically changing a printing plate on a plate cylinder of a rotary printing press. The plate cylinder has, inter alia, devices for clamping and for bracing the printing plate. The printing plate changing arrangement has at least two storage chambers. A printing plate released from the plate cylinder can be conducted into a storage chamber by transport rollers, while a printing plate stored in the other storage chamber is fed to a clamping device of the plate cylinder by transport rollers.
EP 1 084 837 A1 describes a device for holding and conveying a printing forme. This device has translatory conveying arrangements, which convey a printing forme to be mounted on a forme cylinder, or a printing forme to be removed from a forme cylinder. For changing a printing forme, the device is tilted around an axis of rotation out of its position of rest into its operating position. A hook is pivoted, merely under its own weight, into the space in which the printing forme is stored and secures the printing forme at its trailing beveled end to prevent it from inadvertently falling out of this space.
EP 0 734 859 A1 describes an arrangement for changing printing formes. For changing printing formes, a printing forme loading unit pivots out of a vertical position of rest against a holding element, which is embodied as a gripper. For mounting printing formes, the holding element grasps a fresh printing forme kept ready in the printing forme loading unit and performs, together with the grasped printing forme, a pivot movement by the use of an actuated lift cylinder. In this way, the printing forme, which is seated straight in a printing forme supply compartment, is lifted by its front area by the pivoting movement of the holding element, so that the leading end of the printing forme hangs down. The curved printing forme grasped by the holding element is pivoted by the holding element, with its leading end against a forme cylinder, in such a way that a suspension leg, which is formed at the leading end of the printing forme, can drop into a channel that is formed in the forme cylinder, which channel has a proportionally large opening width in comparison with the diameter of the forme cylinder.
A pivotable printing forme changing arrangement is known from DE 199 34 271 A1. A printing forme, which is fixed in place on a printing forme table by a contact body by frictional contact, is placed against a printing forme cylinder by a pivoting movement of the printing forme table. An end of the printing forme, projecting past the printing forme table, is deformed when an edge formed at the end of the printing forme is placed against the printing forme cylinder. The end, which has been prestressed in this way, snaps into a bracing groove of the printing forme cylinder when the printing forme cylinder is slowly rotated. In the course of this procedure, no relative movement takes place between the printing forme resting on the printing table and the contact body.
An arrangement for changing printing formes of rotary printing presses is known from EP 0 678 383 A1. Pivotable holding elements, which can be charged with a vacuum, pull a leading end of a printing forme to be mounted on a forme cylinder to the forme cylinder and place this end, which is elastically deformed, against the forme cylinder. In the course of rotation of the forme cylinder, a beveled edge at the leading end of the printing forme snaps into an opening in the cylinder. A force need for this snapping in of the front edge of the printing forme is supplied by the holding elements.
A device for exchanging printing formes of rotary printing presses is known from EP 0 678 382 A1. Holding elements, which can be charged with a vacuum, place a leading end of a printing forme to be mounted on a forme cylinder against the forme cylinder by exerting a contact pressure, because of which contact pressure this end is deformed. The contact pressure causes a beveled edge at the leading end of the printing forme, which beveled edge is prestressed in this manner, to snap into an opening of the cylinder while the latter rotates.
A device for changing printing formes is known from EP 0 734 860 A1. Pivotable holding devices, which preferably can be charged with a vacuum, place a leading end of a printing forme to be mounted on the forme cylinder against the forme cylinder, because of which placement this end is elastically deformed.
Devices for changing printing formes are known from both EP 1 155 840 A2 and JP 2000-094 640 AA. A beveled edge, located at the leading end of a printing forme to be mounted on a forme cylinder, after this beveled end has been placed against the forme cylinder, is pressed into an opening in the cylinder by a rolling element. With the device in accordance with EP 1 155 840 A2, the printing forme to be mounted is conveyed out of a magazine by a thrusting force acting on the trailing end of this printing forme and is placed against the forme cylinder by making use of the elasticity of the printing forme. With the device in accordance with JP 2000-094 640 AA, the beveled edge at the leading end of the printing forme to be mounted, is placed against the lower half of the forme cylinder and is pushed, counter to the force of gravity, into the opening of the cylinder.
A method and a device for mounting a flexible printing forme is known from DE 44 47 088 C1. A feed carriage, which can be moved radially and axially in front of the cylinder and which has an insertion slider for mounting a suspension leg at the trailing end of the printing forme can be fixed in place in a defined position in relation to the cylinder by a preferably conical snap-in bolt. This bolt, which engages an opening of the cylinder, is radially movable, but is otherwise fixed on the frame.
A device for positioning a magazine, which is used for automatic printing plate changing, is known from DE 42 24 832 C2. The vertical adjustability of the magazine in the plate changing position is fixed in place by a bolt.
A displaceable suspension for a protective printing group device is known from DE 198 03 726 A1. The protective printing group device has displaceable bolts and a device actuating the bolts. For arresting the protective printing group device in place, the bolts are introduced into lateral frame walls of a printing group.